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"The Ride of My Life"
by Mat Hoffman with Mark Lewman
An autobiography of Mat Hoffman written with Lew? How could I go wrong? While "The Ride of My Life" is a fun and interesting read, it's not perfect — some stories seemed to stop just when you were wanting more details. But it does cover a lot of history (from Mat's childhood through present day), and is written so that both riders and non-riders can understand it and appreciate what Mat's done for the sport.
There's a lot of BMX history in this book for younger riders to learn and appreciate, especially since Mat's been pushing riding longer than most of today's riders have been alive. (Yes kids, there actually was a time when flips and handrails didn't exist!) Old-timers like myself who remember when Mat first burst onto the riding scene will enjoy reminiscing about those early days: Mat's days touring with Skyway, contests at the Enchanted Ramp, adventures in driving the Sprocket Jockeys rig. And of course the book has plenty of photos, new and old.
If this book does nothing else, it proves two things. First, Mat has given his body to push vert riding. When you read about how many times he's damaged, trashed, and replaced body parts, it's crazy. In the course of doing that, he's invented some of the best and most burly tricks on vert today. And then there was his fetish with gigantic ramps... Second, he's done more for the sport of bicycle stunt than even we riders know — he's taken as many chances in his business dealings as he has on ramps. "The Ride of My Life" chronicles the troubles (and rewards) with running the Sprocket Jockeys shows, Hoffman Bikes, the Bicycle Stunt contests, and his dealings with ESPN.
If you ride, definitely check out this book. It's a fun and easy read, and you'll come away with an even greater appreciation for Mat.
Buy the book at Amazon.com
Updated Feb. 2003
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